• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.55-62
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• 1989

Variation of the spray droplet velocity with spraying distance and the microstructural characteristics of spray deposits fromed by oxy-fuel thermal spraying with Ni-base alloy powder contained chrome boride for hard facing were examined. Measurements of spray droplet velocity as a function of distance from the nozzle tip were inexcellent agreement with computer simulated predictions. Optimum condition for thermal spray deposits in this experiment was found to be under #10kg/cm^2$ of acceleration gas pressure with 15cm of spraying distance. Fine microstructure and higher microhardness of the initial part of the deposits due to rapid solidification were found to be able to maintained in a thickness up to 0.4mm, and this initial microstructure and properties could be maintained throughout the thickness of a thick spray deposits by performing the multipass spraying with 0.4mm thickness of each pass.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.555-555
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• 2008

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.13-18
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• 2016

Toshiba has developed a laser peening system for PWRs(pressurized water reactors) as well after the one for BWRs(boiling water reactors), and applied it for BMI(bottom-mounted instrumentation) nozzles, core deluge line nozzles and primary water inlet nozzles of Ikata Unit 1 and 2 of Shikoku Electric Power Company since 2004, which are Japanese operating PWR power plants. Laser pulses were delivered through twin optical fibers and irradiated on two portions in parallel to reduce operation time. For BMI nozzles, we developed a tiny irradiation head for small tubes and we peened the inner surface around J-groove welds after laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) as the remote inspection, and we peened the outer surface and the weld for Ikata Unit 2 supplementary. For core deluge line nozzles and primary water inlet nozzles, we peened the inner surface of the dissimilar metal welding, which is of nickel base alloy, joining a safe end and a low alloy metal nozzle. In this paper, the development and the actual application of the laser peening system for PWR power plants will be described.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.637-647
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• 2014

In pressurized water reactors, the upper head of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) contains numerous control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) nozzles. These nozzles are fabricated by welding after being inserted into the RPV head with a room temperature shrink fit. The tensile residual stresses caused by this welding are a major factor in primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). Over the last 15 years, the incidences of cracking in alloy 600 CRDM nozzles have increased significantly. These cracks are caused by PWSCC and have been shown to be driven by the welding residual stresses and operational stresses in the weld region. Various measures are being sought to overcome these problems. The defects resulting from the welding process are often the cause of PWSCC acceleration. Therefore, any weld defects found in the RPV manufacturing process are immediately repaired by repair welding. Detailed finite-element simulations for the Korea Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel were conducted in order to predict the magnitudes of the repair weld residual stresses in the tube materials.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.324-326
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• 2004

l2wt%Cr Steel has been applied on turbine bucket and nozzle partition material of power plant. Turbine bucket and nozzle get damaged by solid particle within steam, therefore they are protected by surface treatments such as ion nitriding, boriding and chrome carbide HVOF spray coating. In this study, solid particle erosion(SPE) characteristics after these surface treatments are examined at operating temperature 540$^{\circ}C$ and 590$^{\circ}C$ of fossil power plant and the mechanism of damage was studied. Erosion of 12wt%Cr steel is originated by micro cutting and that of boriding and chrome carbide HVOF spray is originated by these mechanism - repeating collision, crack initiation and propagation. As the results of SPE test at 540$^{\circ}C$ and 30$^{\circ}$ impact angle that is the most commonly occurred in power plant, Boriding had the best SPE -resistance property, Cr$_2$C$_3$-25(Ni20Cr) HVOF spayed and ion nitrided samples were also better than bare metals(l2wt%Cr Steels). At 590$^{\circ}C$ and 30$^{\circ}$ impact angle, Boriding had also the most superior characteristic and HVOF spay sample was better than bare metal.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1159-1168
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• 2013

In pressurized water nuclear reactors (PWRs), the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) upper head contains penetration nozzles that use a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM). The penetration nozzle uses J-groove weld geometry. Recently, the occurrence of cracking in alloy 600 CRDM penetration nozzle has increased. This is attributable to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). PWSCC is known to be susceptible to the welding residual stress and operational stress. Generally, the tensile residual stress is the main factor contributing to crack growth. Therefore, this study investigates the effect on weld residual stress through different analysis methods for normal operating conditions using finite element analysis. In addition, this study also considers the effect of repeated normal operating condition cycles on the weld residual stress. Based on the analysis result, this paper presents a normal operating condition analysis method.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1235-1239
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• 2012

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) has been observed around the weld region of control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) nozzles in nuclear power plants overseas. The weld has a J-shaped groove and it connects the CRDM nozzle with the reactor vessel upper head (RVUH). It is a dissimilar metal weld (DMW), because the CRDM is made of alloy 600 and the RVUH is made of carbon steel. In this study, finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to estimate the stress condition around the weld region. Generally, it is known that a high tensile region is more susceptible to PWSCC. FEA was performed as for the condition of welding, hydrostatic test and normal operation successively to observe how the residual stress changes due to plant condition. The FEA results show that a high tensile stress region is formed around the weld starting point on the inner surface and around the weld stop point on the outer surface.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.770-781
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• 2008

In nuclear power plants, ferritic low alloy steel components were connected with austenitic stainless steel piping system through alloy 82/182 butt weld. There have been incidents recently where cracking has been observed in the dissimilar metal weld. Alloy 82/182 is susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking. Weld-induced residual stress is main factor for crack growth. Therefore exact estimation of residual stress is important for reliable operating. This paper presents residual stress computation performed by 6" safety & relief nozzle. Based on 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional finite element analyses, effect of welding variables on residual stress variation is estimated for sensitivity analysis.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.216-218
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• 2003

A fracture mechanics analysis methodology for stress corrosion cracks (SCCs) existing in the Alloy 600 nozzle weld joint for control rod drive mechanisms (CRDMs) of pressurized water reactor is studied. Effects of weld residual stresses on the sub-critical crack behavior during the reactor operation are investigated by a fracture mechanics analysis, which is combined with the finite element alternating method. It is found that effects f the residual stresses on the stress intensity factor (SIF) and crack growth rate (CGR) are dominant and values of SIF and CGR of cracks in the region of weld joint are increased by a factor of three or more on an average.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.38-40
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• 2005

Fracture mechanics evaluation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the dissimilar metal weld (DMW) for the nuclear piping system is performed; simulating the transition joint of the ferritic nozzle to austenitic safe-end fabricated with the Inconel Alloy A82/182 buttering and welds. Residual stresses in the DMW are computed by the finite element (FE) analyses Then, to investigate the SCC in the weld root under the combined residual and system operation stresses, the fracture mechanics parameters for a semi-elliptical surface crack are evaluated using the finite element alternating method (FEAM). As a result, it is found that the effect of weld residual stresses on the crack-driving forces is dominant, as high as three times or more than the operation stresses.